Monday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/30/2013

Predictions from market experts for 2014

It is an understatement to say stock market investors had a good year in 2013. The Standard & Poor's 500 index soared 29 percent, its best year since 1997. Including dividends, it gained 32 percent. What lies ahead after this historic year? Read more from the AP and see also:

Work until you die — or until you can't work anymore. Until the late 19th century, that was the old-age plan for the bulk of the world's workers. The idea of providing financial security for the aged gradually caught on and expanded in Europe, the United States and other advanced economies. [Source: AP]

Florida looks to a private company to sell advertisements on state trails

The state is negotiating with a private company to take over a park sponsorship program after failing to get businesses to pay for advertisements along some of Florida's prime trails. New York-based Bikepath Country has offered to give the state 30 percent of any revenue over 15 years in exchange for making signs and seeking corporate sponsors for the program. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Slower growth expected for South Florida home prices in 2014

The bounce-back from the bottom in 2012 and 2013 was intense, with investors fueling a resurgence in housing that saw bidding wars and fast price increases. But 2014 might be the year the market finally takes a breath. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

More Florida college students receive Pell grants

The number of state-university students receiving Pell grants has soared in recent years — an indication that more Floridians are having trouble affording rising education costs. Almost 40 percent of public-university undergraduate students got Pell grants last year, according to the most recent data available from the university system. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

› Jacksonville company seeks to cap concussions with new helmet technology [Florida Times-Union] The very nature of football has changed because of the rise in concussions for players. Now a Jacksonville company is looking to develop an “intelligent helmet” that could use technology to improve the way football helmets respond to traumatic blows in order to drive down the number of head injuries.

› Nonprofits auction novelties to raise funds[South Florida Sun-Sentinel] It's a hot trend in fundraising for South Florida nonprofits: auction off novelty items or special experiences that even the rich would have a hard time finding elsewhere.

› Sarasota company growing its service brands everywhere[Sarasota Herald-Tribune] Direct Energy Services is aiming to be the next golden arches. The subsidiary of Centrica PLC in the United Kingdom may be the largest provider of air conditioning, plumbing and electrical services in North America, but it is setting its sights higher.

› South Florida's got talent [South Florida Sun-Sentinel] The stars are aligning in South Florida — the kind that glimmer on stage and screen, that is. A stunning array of young performers lighting up Hollywood and Broadway grew up in Broward and Palm Beach counties, and some got their training here, too.